2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT First Test: Still a Winning Formula?
Embracing the Touring XT trim and its upgraded powertrain.
Nestled between the smaller Subaru Forester and the larger three-row Subaru Ascent SUV is the popular Subaru Outback, which has become a staple on American roads. It’s a popular vehicle with a loyal customer base, not to mention the 2025 Subaru Outback is also the No. 1 ranked midsize SUV in the MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings.
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The only changes to the 2025 model year were limited to the Limited trim. But we got our hands on an Outback Touring XT—Touring is a top trim, and XT means it has the available turbocharged engine. Some of the upgrades made to the Limited were already available for the Touring XT, so we figured it was time for some more seat time and new test numbers.
The Outback doesn’t look like a traditional SUV, which has probably contributed to its appeal and loyal following. Subaru has honed its raised wagon look and left the Outback largely unchanged from a styling perspective. Some staffers aren’t the biggest fans of its hiking boot design, but the consistency seems to have paid off for the brand. The Touring classes things up thanks to its chrome-finished power-folding side mirrors and exterior door handles.
Inside you’ll find black Nappa leather, more chrome trim bits, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift. The heated steering wheel proved to be a well-timed addition, as our vehicle loan coincided with the first big snowstorm and cold snap to hit Michigan. The steering wheel heats up quickly, but it only gets warm, not hot. Conversely, the seats get hot quickly, and before long you’ll find yourself turning them down to a lower setting.
We were pleased that this Outback came equipped with a front-view camera; the button to operate it is nicely situated beside the gearshift. Up front, there are two USB outlets, one of each size, as well as a round power port, and there's also a handy tray below the glove box for passengers to stow a wallet and phone.
On the interior size front, the Outback offers more passenger and cargo space (seats up or down) than the Chevrolet Blazer, but less than the Honda Passport.
Still Underpowered?
A long-standing criticism of Subaru has revolved around the decidedly underpowered engines it uses to propel many of its vehicles. While that remains an issue for the Outback’s 2.5-liter naturally aspirated boxer base engine, the Touring XT we tested was motivated by Subaru’s 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer-four making a healthy 260 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration proved more than adequate, even during highway driving and passing. Additionally, the Outback’s standard AWD kept the vehicle and us safe on the snowy and icy Michigan roads we encountered.
During our straight-line testing, the 2025 Outback Touring XT needed only 6.3 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph and 14.8 seconds to complete the quarter mile. For perspective, a 2023 Touring we tested took 8.6 seconds to hit 60 mph, but that was with the base 182-hp, 176-lb-ft 2.5-liter flat-four. Our 2020 Outback Onyx XT long-termer with the turbocharged engine covered the same ground in 5.9 seconds.
For comparison, a 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport AWD we tested did the scoot in 6.1 seconds, and the 2022 Passport needed 6.5 seconds. So although the XT has a more competitive engine, the Subaru is still unlikely to win most drag races. And the competition keeps improving. There's a new Passport coming for the 2026 model year with a 285-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission replacing the current nine-speed.
The Chevrolet Blazer midsize SUV comes with a lackluster base four-cylinder, but the Blazer RS is available with a 308-hp 3.5-liter V-6 that can reach 60 mph in 6.1 seconds.
Fuel economy for the Subaru is decent at 22/29/25 mpg in city/highway/combined driving in EPA testing. The Blazer RS can’t compete here with 18–19 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway.
Insight Into Eyesight
Subaru’s safety suite of technologies, known as Eyesight, can be both helpful and annoying. We appreciate the standard adaptive cruise control, which does a good job of travelling at the set speed, slowing for traffic ahead, and quickly returning to speed after passing.
We have mixed feelings, however, about Subaru’s standard lane keep assist. It does a good job of keeping the vehicle between the lines, and it keeps the SUV centered without pinging from side to side. But it can also feel like the driver is fighting the system, especially when you want to inch closer to one side of the lane when passing a large hauler. It does let you drive hands-free for a few seconds before the green icon on the windshield turns yellow and warns you to put your hands back on the wheel.
Other features include front automatic emergency braking, evasive steering, blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic braking. All good things. But the emergency rear automatic braking is sensitive. A slight dip in the driveway while backing out was enough to trigger a hard stop and spill my coffee.
The 2025 Outback Touring XT also features Subaru’s latest driver distraction monitoring system, and it's one aggressive nanny. Turn your head for a second to grab something from the passenger seat, and the car admonishes you with angry beeps.
Strange Happenings
Besides the minor safety system snafus, we experienced an issue when we started the vehicle and tried to put it into gear too quickly. It went into accessory mode as a result, and it took a couple stabs at the start/stop button to get it back and ready to drive. Then, on another occasion, it popped a “check engine” light and wouldn’t turn on or off, causing a temporary panic because we were headed to the airport that day. It kept saying the ignition was on and to put the car in park, but that didn’t help. After a prolonged period of angst, it finally let me turn it off by putting the car in park without applying the brake.
Solid Infotainment, Solid SUV
Our test Outback came fitted with Subaru’s upgraded 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment setup with the built-in Subaru Starlink navigation system. It's still a busy screen, but it makes better use of the space thanks in part to its large and easy-to-use apps, and it’s compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Things get busier at the bottom with the Home button, HVAC controls, and a few more commands, but we appreciate the volume and tuning knobs.
After our latest stint in the Outback, we continue to find it easy to understand why Subaru owners remain enamored with and loyal to the plucky Subaru SUV, especially the 2025 Outback Touring XT, thanks to its turbocharged engine and added amenities.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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